Overland Track Aurora – November 2015

Friday September 29, 2017

These Overland Track aurora photos were taken back in November 2015, on the first night of my walk down the track with the Cradle Mountain Huts guided walk. The aurora appeared right on dusk, and indeed it was hard to distinguish the aurora from the twilight glow in my first test shots earlier in the night. As the darkness deepened however, the unmistakable shimmer and movement of the aurora became more and more obvious.

These shots were taken from the first hut on the Cradle Mountain Huts guided walk of the Overland Track near Barn Bluff. November 7, 2015

The whites were quite unusual, I haven’t shot too many auroras with a procession of white beams like this before

Aurora australis, Overland Track November 2015

This was the most intense part of the night. It didn’t continue for too long and gradually decreased fairly early in the evening.

On top of the pink layer, there was also a deeper purple. A really nice mix of colours

Some of the mountains of the Overland Track can be seen off in the distance. Mt Pelion East & Mt Ossa are visible on the horizon to the left.

As usual with the aurora, the colours were not visible to the naked eye, but the colours captured in camera were really quite unique. The white beams, for example, I had not seen before. The purple on the top edge above the pink too, is not something I have captured too many times. Part of the excitement with the aurora really is this sense of never knowing just what the camera will reveal.

About Luke

Luke O’Brien runs a stall at Hobart's popular Salamanca Market every Saturday where his prints and cards are available for purchase. Follow Luke's photographic adventures on Twitter at @lukeobrienphoto, at his Facebook page or by subscribing to his email newsletter.